PDIP Rejects PAN's Proposal for Election Bill to Become Government Initiative: What's Going On?

PDIP legislator in Commission II of the DPR from the PDIP faction, Deddy Yevry Sitorus, has rejected the proposal from the National Mandate Party (PAN) to make the Election Bill (RUU Pemilu) a government initiative.

According to Deddy, handing the Election Bill over to the government would be tantamount to surrendering the life of political parties. This is because, in the bill, parties are the stakeholders with the greatest interest.

“Handing the initiative for the Election Bill to the Government is the same as handing over the life of political parties and democracy to those in power,” Deddy stated when contacted on Sunday (9/5).

The Chair of the Executive Election Winning Body of the PDIP Central Executive Board viewed differences in several points of discussion in the Election Bill as a normal occurrence. According to him, differences are an inevitability in democracy.

“Even in a family, there can be differences and struggles, let alone in politics? If you’re afraid of differences and struggles, then don’t get involved in politics or form a political party,” he said.

Therefore, Deddy expressed a firm stance in rejecting PAN’s proposal. He considered PAN’s proposal strange because many technical laws are actually DPR initiatives.

“But a law that is vital for the DPR is proposed to become a government initiative. What’s going on?” he said.

The proposal for the Election Bill to become a DPR initiative was previously conveyed by PAN’s Deputy General Chairman, Saleh Daulay. Quoted from Detik.com, he considered it important to avoid debates among parties in the DPR.

“If it is based on a government initiative, the intellectual struggles and party agendas can be avoided at the initial discussion stage. If there are differences, they will be accumulated during the DIM discussion,” he said.

The Election Bill is currently a DPR initiative and is included in the 2026 priority legislation agenda. However, the DPR has yet to begin discussions and has signalled that it will not be discussed this year, even though election stages will begin in mid-2026.